PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Methyl Chloride”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

A selective unsaturated hydrocarbon subtraction technique for stable carbon isotopic analysis of atmospheric methyl chloride, methyl bromide, and C2-C5 saturated hydrocarbons using continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

Using continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry, we have developed a new analytical system which enables us to determine the stable carbon isotopic composition of CH3Cl, CH3Br, and C2-C5 saturated hydrocarbons in gas samples even if they contain substantial amounts of unsaturated hydrocarbons, using an I2O5 reagent for their selective subtraction. The analytical precision of the delta13C determinations is better than 0.5 per thousand for >300 pmolC injections and better than 5 per thousand for 20 pmolC injections. Using the system, delta13C values for CH3Cl and CH3Br were found in burning exhaust that contain a substantial quantity of unsaturated hydrocarbons. CH3Cl and CH3Br measured in exhaust from burning rice plants exhibit highly 13C-depleted values of -56.6 +/- 1.3 per thousand and -48.6 +/- 3.9 per thousand, respectively, while saturated hydrocarbons exhibit delta13C values (-26.4 to -28.9 per thousand) that are comparable with the total delta13C value of the parent material (rice plant; -28.0 per thousand). Using the system, we can determine the delta13C values of methyl halides and hydrocarbons in many kinds of gas samples.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1981

Neurotoxicity of methyl chloride.

Methyl chloride is encountered in the chemical industry as a methylating agent in the production of butyl rubber, tetramethyl lead, and other products as well as a blowing agent for some polystyrene foams. It is a potent CNS depressant whose principal route of absorption is by inhalation, although it can be absorbed through the skin. Symptoms of the neurotoxicity include headache, drowsiness, giddiness, ataxia, convulsion, and coma. This review focuses on the human case reports of acute and chronic exposures as well as some of the more important inhalation studies conducted with animals. The chemical and physical properties and the more important industrial uses are also discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Induction of the adaptive response of Escherichia coli to alkylation damage by the environmental mutagen, methyl chloride.

Methyl chloride (MeCl) is an abundant environmental mutagen and carcinogen and may be one of several environmental alkylating agents against which the protection of an adaptive response is required in microorganisms. Both MeCl and methyl iodide (MeI), at micromolar concentrations, induced the adaptive response to alkylation damage in Escherichia coli. This response is regulated by the Ada protein which is converted into a transcriptional activator by self-methylation on repair of methylphosphotriesters in methylated DNA. However, using high amounts of Ada protein, activation of Ada occurred in vitro following direct protein methylation by both MeI (in agreement with previously published data) and MeCl. Activation was enhanced when methyl halide treatments were performed in the presence of DNA. An unadapted E. coli cell contains only 2 to 4 molecules of Ada protein, and presents an extremely small target of 2 to 4 specific cysteine residues per cell for activation of Ada by direct protein methylation in vivo. Thus, it is proposed that induction of the adaptive response in vivo initially occurs via efficient repair by the Ada protein of a low number of methylphosphotriesters in DNA. When the cellular Ada protein level has substantially increased, a greater probability of direct methylation and activation of Ada at cysteine-69 by MeCl may sustain and further increase induction of the adaptive response.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2002

Strong emission of methyl chloride from tropical plants.

Methyl chloride is the largest natural source of ozone-depleting chlorine compounds, and accounts for about 15 per cent of the present atmospheric chlorine content. This contribution was likely to have been relatively greater in pre-industrial times, when additional anthropogenic sources-such as chlorofluorocarbons-were absent. Although it has been shown that there are large emissions of methyl chloride from coastal lands in the tropics, there remains a substantial shortfall in the overall methyl chloride budget. Here we present observations of large emissions of methyl chloride from some common tropical plants (certain types of ferns and Dipterocarpaceae), ranging from 0.1 to 3.7 microg per gram of dry leaf per hour. On the basis of these preliminary measurements, the methyl chloride flux from Dipterocarpaceae in southeast Asia alone is estimated at 0.91 Tg yr-1, which could explain a large portion of missing methyl chloride sources. With continuing tropical deforestation, natural sources of chlorine compounds may accordingly decrease in the future. Conversely, the abundance of massive ferns in the Carboniferous period may have created an atmosphere rich in methyl chloride.

Asia, Southeastern↗
PubMed1999

Expression of Batis maritima methyl chloride transferase in Escherichia coli.

Methyl chloride transferase, a novel enzyme found in several fungi, marine algae, and halophytic plants, is a biological catalyst responsible for the production of atmospheric methyl chloride. A previous paper reports the purification of this methylase from Batis maritima and the isolation of a cDNA clone of the gene for this enzyme. In this paper, we describe the isolation of a genomic clone of the methylase gene and the expression of recombinant methyl chloride transferase in Escherichia coli and compare the kinetic behavior of the wild-type and recombinant enzyme. The recombinant enzyme is active and promotes the production of methyl chloride by E. coli under in vivo conditions. The kinetic data indicate that the recombinant and wild-type enzymes have similar halide (Cl-, Br-, and I-)-binding capacities. Both the recombinant and wild-type enzymes were found to function well in high NaCl concentrations. This high salt tolerance resembles the activity of halobacterial enzymes rather than halophytic plant enzymes. These findings support the hypothesis that this enzyme functions in the control and regulation of the internal concentration of chloride ions in halophytic plant cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Assessment of the genotoxic effects of methyl chloride in human lymphoblasts.

The activity of methyl chloride was measured in 4 genotoxicity assays. In an established human lymphoblast line, a 3-h treatment with 0-5% methyl chloride resulted in a dose-related increase in mutant fraction at the thymidine kinase locus and induction of sister-chromatid exchange. No increase in DNA damage, as measured by alkaline elution, was detected in the lymphoblasts at concentrations of methyl chloride shown to be mutagenic. Also, a concentration-related increase in 8-azaguanine-resistant fraction in Salmonella typhimurium was observed following a 3-h treatment with atmospheres containing 0-20% methyl chloride. Thus, methyl chloride is a weak, direct-acting mutagen for bacteria and human cells in culture.

DNA↗
PubMed1988

Biochemical effects of methyl chloride in relation to its tumorigenicity.

The biochemical effects of methyl chloride were investigated in tissues of F-344 rats and B6C3F1 mice (both sexes). Activities of GST were 2-3 times higher in livers of male B6C3F1 mice, compared with those of female mice, and with rats of both sexes. In kidneys GST activities of (male) mice were about 7 times lower than those found in livers. The activity of FDH was higher in livers of mice (both sexes) than in those of rats. No obvious sex difference was found in livers of rats and mice with respect to FDH. In kidneys, however, (minor) differences in FDH activities occurred between male and female B6C3F1 mice (4.7 vs. 3.1 nmol/min per mg). Sex differences of FDH activity in kidneys were not observed in F-344 rats. The microsomal transformation (by cytochrome P-450) of methyl chloride and S-methyl-L-cysteine to formaldehyde in tissues of B6C3F1 mice occurred preferentially in the liver. More formaldehyde was produced in liver microsomes of male, compared to those of female mice. Kidney microsomes metabolized methyl chloride to formaldehyde much less than liver microsomes. After a single exposure of mice of both sexes to 1000 ppm methyl chloride no elevation in formaldehyde concentrations was observed in livers and kidneys ex vivo. The determination of DNA lesions, using the alkaline elution technique, revealed no DNA-protein crosslinks in kidneys of male B6C3F1 mice after exposure to methyl chloride (1000 ppm, 6 h day-1, 4 days) and gave only minor evidence of single-strand breaks. Lipid peroxidation (production of TBA reactive material), induced by single exposure to methyl chloride (1000 ppm, 6 h), was very pronounced in livers of male and female mice. Smaller increases in peroxidation were observed in the kidneys of exposed mice. The theory that renal tumors observed in male mice after chronic exposure of the test animals to high (1000 ppm) concentrations of methyl chloride, are evoked by intermediates and in situ produced formaldehyde is proven unlikely by our results.

5-Methylcytosine↗
PubMed1998

cDNA cloning of Batis maritima methyl chloride transferase and purification of the enzyme.

Methyl chloride transferase catalyzes the synthesis of methyl chloride from S-adenosine-L-methionine and chloride ion. This enzyme has been purified 2,700-fold to homogeneity from Batis maritima, a halophytic plant that grows abundantly in salt marshes. The purification of the enzyme was accomplished by a combination of ammonium sulfate fractionation, column chromatography on Sephadex G100 and adenosine-agarose, and TSK-250 size-exclusion HPLC. The purified enzyme exhibits a single band on SDS/PAGE with a molecular mass of approximately 22.5 kDa. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was 22,474 Da as determined by matrix-associated laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry. The methylase can function in either a monomeric or oligomeric form. A 32-aa sequence of an internal fragment of the methylase was determined (GLVPGCGGGYDVVAMANPER FMVGLDIXENAL, where X represents unknown residue) by Edman degradation, and a full-length cDNA of the enzyme was obtained by rapid amplification of cDNA ends-PCR amplification of cDNA oligonucleotides. The cDNA gene contains an ORF of 690 bp encoding an enzyme of 230 aa residues having a predicted molecular mass of 25,761 Da. The disparity between the observed and calculated molecular mass suggests that the methylase undergoes posttranslational cleavage, possibly during purification. Sequence homologies suggest that the B. maritima methylase defines a new family of plant methyl transferases. A possible function for this novel methylase in halophytic plants is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Glutathione transferase T1 phenotype affects the toxicokinetics of inhaled methyl chloride in human volunteers.

The aim of the present study was to investigate how the genetic polymorphism in glutathione transferase T1 (GSTT1) affects the metabolism and disposition of methyl chloride in humans in vivo. The 24 volunteers (13 males and 11 females) who participated in the study were recruited from a group of 208 individuals previously phenotyped for GSTT1 by measuring the glutathione transferase activity with methyl chloride in lysed erythrocytes ex vivo. Eight individuals with high (+/+), eight with medium (+/0) and eight with no (0/0) GSTT1 activity were exposed to methyl chloride gas (10 p.p.m.) in an exposure chamber for 2 h. Uptake and disposition was studied by measuring the concentration of methyl chloride in inhaled air, exhaled air and blood. A two-compartment model with two elimination pathways corresponding to exhalation and metabolism was fitted to experimental data. The average net respiratory uptake of methyl chloride was 243, 158, and 44 micromol in individuals with high, intermediate and no GSTT1 activity, respectively. Metabolic clearance was high (4.6 l/min) in the +/+ group, intermediate (2.4 l/min) in the +/0 group, and close to zero in 0/0 individuals, while the exhalation clearance was similar in the three groups. No exposure related increase in urinary S-methyl cysteine was detected. However, gender and the GSTTl phenotype seemed to affect the background levels. In conclusion, GSTT1 appears to be the sole determinant of methyl chloride metabolism in humans. Thus, individuals with nonfunctional GSTT1 entirely lack the capacity to metabolize methyl chloride.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1983

The role of glutathione and cytochrome P-450 in the metabolism of methyl chloride.

Rat liver microsomes metabolized methyl chloride to formaldehyde at a rate 15-fold less than the rate of benzamphetamine demethylation. The reaction rate was stimulated approximately 2-fold in microsomes from phenobarbital-pretreated rats and was inhibited by addition of SKF-525A, carbon monoxide, metyrapone, and hexobarbital to the microsomal suspension, indicating dependence on cytochrome P-450. The in vivo incorporation of 14CH3Cl into liver macromolecules, previously shown to reflect metabolism to CH3Cl to formate, was not significantly altered by SKF-525A, Aroclor 1254, or 3-methylcholanthrene pretreatment of rats, although pretreatment with phenobarbital produced a 35 and 28% increase in 14CH3Cl uptake into liver lipid and acid-insoluble material, respectively. Pretreatment with phenobarbital increased the in vivo metabolism of 14CH3Cl to 14CO2 (also derived from a formate intermediate) by 19%, but had no effect on urinary metabolites derived from 14CH3Cl. SKF-525A inhibited 14CO2 production from 14CH3Cl by 30% and also had no effect on urinary excretion of 14C. In contrast, pretreatment with diethylmaleate inhibited 14CH3Cl incorporation into liver macromolecules by 70 to 85%, and lowered 14CO2 expiration and urinary 14C excretion by 52 and 60%, respectively. S-Methylcysteine pretreatment produced a similar inhibition of 14CH3Cl incorporation and metabolism to 14CO2; urinary excretion of 14C, however, was approximately doubled. 14CH3Cl uptake into liver was also stimulated by cysteine pretreatment. These results indicate a strong dependence of CH3Cl metabolism on tissue nonprotein sulfhydryl content and suggest a possible role for cytochrome P-450 in the in vivo metabolism of CH3Cl. A scheme for the metabolism of CH3Cl is postulated which involves initial reaction with glutathione, and sequential metabolism of the conjugate to S-methylcysteine, methanethiol, and formaldehyde.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Failure of fertilization as a cause of preimplantation loss induced by methyl chloride in Fischer 344 rats.

Methyl chloride (MeCl) is a testicular and epididymal toxicant in the Fischer 344 rat that induces significant decreases in sperm quality in males and significant increases in preimplantation embryonic loss in females mated to exposed males. This study examined the possibility that these losses are due to failure of fertilization and not to preimplantation embryonic death. Groups of males either were exposed to 1000 or 3000 ppm MeCl 6 hr/day for 5 days or received a single ip injection of 0.2 mg/kg triethylenemelamine (TEM) on Day 5 and were bred to two females weekly for up to 8 weeks. Females were killed 12 hr postmating; embryos and ova were isolated and scored as fertilized or unfertilized. Nearly 90% (602/683) of the normal ova recovered from females bred to control males were fertilized, and fertilization rates in the 1000-ppm MeCl and TEM groups were not significantly depressed from that level. The percentage of fertilized ova in the 3000-ppm MeCl group was significantly decreased, ranging from 3 to 72% over the 8 weeks. The frequency of unfertilized ova in this group always equaled or exceeded the frequency of preimplantation loss recorded in an earlier dominant lethal assay. In contrast, only a fraction of the preimplantation losses caused by the genotoxicant TEM could be accounted for by failure of fertilization. After culture of fertilized ova for 24 hr, only the TEM group exhibited a significant decrease in the number of fertilized ova which cleaved (85 vs 96% in the control). We conclude that the preimplantation loss caused by MeCl exposure is due to failure of fertilization and not to a genotoxic effect of MeCl. The methods used here permit a more accurate assessment of the reproductive toxicity of a chemical by discriminating between its cytotoxic and genotoxic effects.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Methyl chloride utilising bacteria are ubiquitous in the natural environment.

Enrichment and isolation of methyl chloride utilising bacteria from a variety of pristine terrestrial, freshwater, estuarine and marine environments resulted in the detection of six new methyl chloride utilising Hyphomicrobium strains, strain CMC related to Aminobacter spp. and to two previously isolated methyl halide utilising bacteria CC495 and IMB-1, and a Gram-positive isolate SAC-4 phylogenetically related to Nocardioides spp. All the pristine environments sampled for enrichment resulted in the successful isolation of methyl chloride utilising organisms.

Hyphomicrobium↗
PubMed2000

A strong source of methyl chloride to the atmosphere from tropical coastal land.

Methyl chloride (CH3Cl), the most abundant halocarbon in the atmosphere, has received much attention as a natural source of chlorine atoms in the stratosphere. The annual global flux of CH3Cl has been estimated to be around 3.5 Tg on the grounds that this must balance the loss through reaction with OH radicals (which gives a lifetime for atmospheric CH3Cl of 1.5 yr). The most likely main source of methyl chloride has been thought to be oceanic emission, with biomass burning the second largest source. But recent seawater measurements indicate that oceanic fluxes cannot account for more than 12% of the estimated global flux of CH3Cl, raising the question of where the remainder comes from. Here we report evidence of significant CH3Cl emission from warm coastal land, particularly from tropical islands. This conclusion is based on a global monitoring study and spot measurements, which show enhancement of atmospheric CH3Cl in the tropics, a close correlation between CH3Cl concentrations and those of biogenic compounds emitted by terrestrial plants, and OH-linked seasonality of CH3Cl concentrations in middle and high latitudes. A strong, equatorially located source of this nature would explain why the distribution of CH3Cl is uniform between the Northern and Southern hemispheres, despite their differences in ocean and land area.

Arctic Regions↗
PubMed1979

Behavioral, neurological, and toxic effects of methyl chloride: a review of the literature.

A large number of reports have been devoted to the physiologic and toxic effects of methyl chloride, many of which are based on case histories involving occupational exposure. The detrimental actions of methyl chloride on the central and peripheral nervous systems are well established effects. It is a moderately severe narcotic and potentially severe nerve poison. Chronic intoxication is associated with damage to the central nervous system (CNS), kidneys, liver, bone marrow, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, and intestinal tract. The signs and symptoms range from the more severe medical dysfunctions such as cardiac irregularities, respiratory paralysis, nerve degeneration, and severe convulsions to the more subtle clinical observations such as CNS depression, nervousness and emotional instability, insomnia and anorexia, ataxia, blurred vision, light-headedness, nausea, dizziness, narcosis, and disorientation. The behavioral correlates of these and other neurotoxic effects of methyl chloride suggest that a gradual behavioral degradation occurs. Pharmacodynamic studies have shown the compound to be rapidly absorbed by the blood with most authors attributing the toxicity to an enzyme-catalyzed methylation reaction in the body. Despite the fact that several investigators have attempted to correlate such biological responses of methyl chloride with its toxicity, the present knowledge of the problem still lacks a detailed mechanism of action. Until such mechanisms are verified, adequate methods to assess subclinical neurological and behavioral changes must be effectively developed.

Animals↗